Feb. 4, 2018, 11:16 a.m.

More than 100 million people are expected to tune into today’s Super Bowl matchup between the New England Patriots and the Philadelphia Eagles. That means companies and ad agencies have to bring their A game to stand out in a sea of commercials.

With 30-second spots going for upwards of $5 million during football's biggest game, it helps to enlist the help of a familiar face to plug your brand. From Black Panther to Tyrion Lannister, here are some of the best celebrity cameos.

Feb. 4, 2018, 8:00 a.m.

Therapy worked in spades, and I think my comedy has gotten better. I know myself more, and therefore I'm a better worker. And the more you know yourself, the more you know your creative process and the more you can exploit it, the more you can change it and direct it, the more relaxed you feel and the more confident you feel.

Feb. 3, 2018, 5:22 p.m.

Veteran Chicago Sun-Times movie critic Richard Roeper has been re-instated from a suspension after being caught purchasing tens of thousands of fake followers on Twitter.

The writer was one of many media figures and celebrities named in a New York Times investigation of the shadowy firm Devumi, which along with another firm brought him over 50,000 followers “on at least six separate occasions” for an alleged fee of $650.

“We took these steps because, in addition to our expectation of professional accuracy, authenticity is particularly important to the profession of journalism,” the Sun-Times said in a statement. Roeper had claimed he was unaware that the followers were fake.

Feb. 3, 2018, 5:12 p.m.

Justin Timberlake's new album is "Man of the Woods." (Amy Harris / Invision / Associated Press)

Janet Jackson swiftly dismissed speculation that she might make a return visit to the Super Bowl stage with Justin Timberlake during his halftime show Sunday.

“To put to rest any speculation or rumors as to whether I will be performing at the Super Bowl tomorrow; I will not,” Jackson said in a statement released Saturday. “Thank you for your support and I do look forward to seeing you all very soon.”

Fans had wondered if Jackson might make a cameo after Timberlake mentioned her name during a Thursday news conference, responding to a question about potential guests for his performance.

Feb. 3, 2018, 2:12 p.m.

Pink performs at the Grammy Awards at Madison Square Garden in New York on Sunday. (Matt Sayles / Invision/Associated Press)

Pink’s performance of the national anthem at Sunday’s Super Bowl may be derailed by the flu.

The singer wrote on Instagram on Saturday that, after rehearsals for her performance of “The Star Spangled Banner,” she may not be well enough to perform at her peak.

“Trying to practice the flu away. I’ve been waiting to sing this song since 1991 when I saw my idol, Whitney Houston, own this song. And now, my chance has finally come,” she wrote. But alas, “I’ve arrived at another one of my dreams which is slowly becoming a sort of nightmare.”

Feb. 3, 2018, 12:34 p.m.

Director Woody Allen poses for photographers during a photo call for the film "Cafe Society" at the 69th international film festival in Cannes. (Thibault Camus / Associated Press)

Stephane Celerier, the head of French film distributor Mars Films, defended director Woody Allen in the midst of a backlash against sexual misconduct in the entertainment industry.

In an essay in the French weekly magazine Le Point, Celerier said that allegations against Allen — whose adopted daughter, Dylan Farrow, accuses Allen of molesting her when she was a child — were “more a matter of settling family accounts” and part of what Celerier described as the “shameless opportunism” of the #MeToo movement.

Farrow previously wrote in the L.A. Times that “when I was 7 years old, Woody Allen led me into an attic, away from the babysitters who had been instructed never to leave me alone with him. He then sexually assaulted me.” Allen has denied the allegations.